What is hemophilia?

Hemophilia is a bleeding problem. People with hemophilia do not bleed any faster than normal, but they can bleed for a longer time. Their blood does not have enough clotting factor. Clotting factor is a protein in blood that controls bleeding.

Hemophilia is quite rare. About 1 in 10,000 people are born with it.

Types of hemophilia

The most common type of hemophilia is called hemophilia A. This means the person does not have enough clotting factor VIII (factor eight).

Hemophilia B is less common. A person with hemophilia B does not have enough factor IX (factor nine). The result is the same for people with hemophilia A and B; that is, they bleed for a longer time than normal.